About FDA

Office of Crisis Management

Mission

The Office of Crisis Management (OCM) serves as the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) focal point for coordinating emergency response activities involving FDA regulated products. The office coordinates intra-agency and inter-agency activities related to crisis management and emergency preparedness and response, including the planning, conduct, and evaluation of exercises.

OCM develops, manages, and coordinates incident management plans, policies and programs for FDA to ensure that an agency structure exists to respond rapidly and effectively to all hazards.

OCM provides strategic direction and oversight of the FDA’s adoption of the National Incident Management System (NIMS); including all aspects of the development of plans, procedures and training programs in support of the Incident Command System.

Vision

Improved public health evidenced by reduced risk of illness and injury as a result of effective preparedness activities and coordination of emergency incidents involving FDA-regulated products.

Major functions and descriptions

Focal Point for Coordination and Response - for the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in emergency and crisis situations involving FDA regulated products or in situations in which FDA regulated products are needed to be utilized or deployed.

Emergency and Crisis Management - assists in the development and management, emergency and crisis management policies and programs for FDA to ensure that a structure exists to respond rapidly to an emergency or crisis situation.

Emergency Coordinator - Serves as agency emergency coordinator to HHS Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response (OASPR) and as liaison to HHS Secretary's Office of Security and Strategic Information (OSSI). Provides OASPR situational awareness of all FDA-related emergencies and ensures that FDA's emergency operations procedures are in alignment with national and HHS procedures.

International Capability and Readiness - Participates in international initiatives to ensure FDA's capability and readiness to work with foreign counterparts in responding to international emergencies involving or impacting FDA-regulated products and to share information with international counterparts during such emergencies.

Emergency Operations Network Incident Management System -manages the FDA Emergency Operations Network Incident Management System (EON IMS), a system for capturing large amounts of near real time information about emergencies related to FDA-regulated products for use by senior agency decision makers in assessing and managing response activities. Provide offices and centers geographical information system maps created by EON IMS's GIS mapping component for use in strategic planning of agency emergency response activities.

Emergency Operations Plans - Develops and updates agency emergency operations plans and incident specific annexes, ensuring their alignment and compliance with the National Response Framework and its Emergency Support Functions and the National Incident Management System.

Exercises for Emergency Operations Plans - Plans and conducts agency exercises to test emergency operations plans. Plans and coordinates FDA's participation in emergency exercises sponsored by other Departments and agencies, including national and international level exercises.

Emergency Call Center - Oversees the FDA Emergency Call Center which provides after normal hours service for responding to public inquiries and reports related to FDA-regulated products as well as surge capacity service for managing increased volumes of inquiries due to an event involving an FDA-regulated product.